Steve Smith has matched the feats of fellow Australia greats Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke by winning the Allan Border Medal for a record-equalling fourth time.
Smith – who also won the highest individual prize in Australian men's cricket in 2015, 2018 and 2021 – collected 171 votes from players, umpires and media for the 2023 award, comfortably clear of second-placed Travis Head with 144 votes.
Smith made 1,524 runs across all three formats during the voting period – the most by any Australia player, while only Marnus Labuschagne matched his tally of four centuries.
With the criteria for the award being weighted towards those who fare well in the longer formats, Smith's contribution to Australia winning eight of their 10 red-ball matches to rise to the top of the Test rankings went some way to putting him top of the pile.
While Ponting took the prize in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009, fellow four-time recipient Clarke triumphed in 2005, 2009, 2012 and 2013.
Meanwhile, David Warner won Cricket Australia's ODI Player of the Year award after finishing third in the voting for the Allan Border Medal, while Marcus Stoinis claimed the equivalent T20I prize.
The men's Test Player of the Year award – named after Shane Warne for the first time following his death last March – was won by Usman Khawaja after he scored 1,020 runs at 78.46 throughout the voting period.
In the women's game, Beth Mooney claimed the Belinda Clark medal for the second time, having featured in Australia's successful 50-over World Cup campaign in New Zealand last year.
The Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Selection Panel has called up four of the West Indies Under 19 Rising Stars players who competed at the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup to the West Indies Women’s team.
All-rounders Zaida James and Djenaba Joseph, wicketkeeper/batter Trishan Holder and fast-bowler Jannillea Glasgow have been selected as injury cover for Monday’s final Tri- Series match against India Women at Buffalo Park in East London.
Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Shakera Selman and Chedean Nation are currently going through a return to play rehabilitation ahead of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
“The selection panel has included four Under 19 players for the final match of the Tri-Series as potential replacements for injured players,” said Chief Selector Ann Browne-John.
“The four have been training with the senior team in South Africa since the conclusion of the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup.
“We believe this is the perfect opportunity to utilize these four players, two of whom (Joseph and Holder) made their international debut against England last year, to reinforce the squad in the absence of injured senior players. They have been playing in South African conditions for the past three weeks so are well prepared. With final selection of the ICC T20 World Cup squad still to be done, it gives the selection panel another opportunity to see the best players available and select the best combination to participate.”
Holder and Joseph made their West Indies senior debuts against England last December, while Glasgow and James were travelling reserves with the senior team last year.
During the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup, James struck two half-centuries and had a four-wicket haul, whilst Joseph struck an unbeaten 44 not out in their Super6s match against England. Holder had a well-compiled 34 not out off 14 balls against Indonesia and Glasgow was the spearhead of the bowling attack.
The West Indies Women play India Women on Monday 30 January in the final preliminary match at 3pm local time (9am Eastern Caribbean/8am Jamaica time).
Full squad: Hayley Matthews (Captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow (U19), Sheneta Grimmond, Trishan Holder (U19), Zaida James (U19), Djenaba Joseph (U19), Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz and Rashada Williams.
Match schedule:
16 January: warm-up match vs South Africa XI at Beacon Bay- South Africa won by 4 wickets.
T20I Tri-Series Match Schedule
(all matches to be played at Buffalo Park, East London)
21 January: vs South Africa – South Africa won by 44 runs
23 January: vs India – India won by 56 runs
25 January: vs South Africa – South Africa won by 10 wickets
30 January: vs India, 3pm local time (9am Eastern Caribbean/8am Jamaica)
2 February: Tri-Series Final, 3pm local time (9am Eastern Caribbean/8am Jamaica
Rovman Powell hit a magnificent 97 from 41 balls to lead the Dubai Capitals to a thrilling 16-run victory over the MI Emirates in a high-scoring match in the ILT20 League in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Powell, the Player of the Match, hit four fours and 10 sixes while powering Dubai Capitals for 222-3 from their 20 overs. Powell featured in a second-wicket partnership of 121 from just 57 balls with former England captain Joe Root, who scored 82 from 54 balls.
Root and Robin Uthappa had laid the foundation with an opening stand of 78 from 53 balls before the latter was dismissed for 26.
Powell was eventually dismissed by Kieron Pollard from the last ball of the innings, but the damage was already done.
Chasing the highest score in the tournament so far, MI Emirates lost three wickets for 26 runs early including that of Nicholas Pooran for a duck in the sixth over.
His dismissal brought together Pollard and Andre Fletcher and together that made things interesting for Dubai that came into the game on the back of three consecutive losses.
Together, Pollard and Fletcher went on the offensive smashing balls to all parts as they stitched together a stand of 118 with the Trinidadian scoring the bulk of those runs, 86 from 38 balls with eight fours and six sixes before he was dismissed by Powell in the 16th over with his side still needing 79 from the last 24 balls.
Najibullah Zadran got them closer with a quickfire 30 from just nine balls but once he fell, yorked by Fred Klaasen in the 19th over, the remaining runs proved elusive despite the best efforts of Fletcher, who remained unbeaten on 35 at the end with MI Emriates on 206-5.
Jofra Archer returned to competitive cricket with a bang as he took three wickets in the South Africa T20 cricket league.
Elbow and back issues have kept Archer from playing almost entirely since his last appearance for England in the T20I series in India in March 2021.
The seamer's previous competitive game was in July 2021 when he played for Sussex against Kent in a T20 Blast encounter, with his only recent outing being for the England Lions in a warm-up game in South Africa in November.
Turning out for MI Cape Town against Paarl Royals in the SA20 on Tuesday, Archer took 3-27 from his four overs, which included a maiden and 12 dot balls.
The 27-year-old dismissed Wihan Lubbe with just his third delivery, before also claiming the wickets of David Miller and Ferisco Adams with successive balls in his third over.
Despite Archer's international team-mate Jos Buttler top-scoring with 51 from 42 balls for the Royals, MI Cape Town were able to secure an eight-wicket win thanks in the main to an unbeaten knock of 70 from Dewald Brevis.
England Test captain Ben Stokes tweeted earlier on Tuesday to say he was: "Buzzing to see @JofraArcher back on the field".
Managing director of England men's cricket Rob Key had previously indicated that Archer would play two games in the SA20, before coming into consideration for England's ODI series in South Africa, which starts on January 27 in Bloemfontein.
Suryakumar Yadav played a virtuoso innings for India as his rapid century set up a series-clinching 91-run victory against Sri Lanka in Rajkot.
In the third T20I, a one-sided tussle at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Yadav blazed his way to 112 not out from 51 balls as India piled up 228-5, setting the tourists a daunting target. He got to three figures from just 45 deliveries.
India then limited Sri Lanka to 137 all out, sealing a 2-1 series success after the teams split the first two matches, both far tighter affairs than this spectacle.
Yadav's third T20I century contained nine sixes and seven fours, as he went after Sri Lanka's attack and flayed them unrelentingly. Coming in at 52-2 after 5.5 overs, Yadav followed his 117 against England last July and his 111 against New Zealand in November with another devastatingly brutal innings.
Shubman Gill (46), Rahul Tripathi (35) and Axar Patel (21no) performed well, but it was the Yadav show and they were merely a supporting cast.
Sri Lanka needed a fast start, and they got that, but openers Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka both fell with the team score at 44, and Avishka Fernando followed soon after.
Wickets kept tumbling and it became clear Sri Lanka would not find a Yadav-like effort from within their ranks, with Arshdeep Singh finishing the rout by bowling Dilshan Madushanka to complete match-best figures of 3-20.
Sri Lanka find no answer to India assault
This was India's fourth-biggest win, by runs, in T20Is. Their heaviest win remains the 143-run victory over Ireland in Dublin in 2018, followed by a 101-run win over Afghanistan in Dubai in 2022 and a 93-run success against South Africa in 2017.
Yadav closes in on Rohit
India captain Rohit Sharma, who has missed this series with a finger injury, is the only man to have hit more T20I centuries than Yadav, who showed why he is number one on the ICC T20I batting rankings.
Rohit has four tons in the short format, with Yadav now one of four men with three by his name, along with Australia's Glenn Maxwell, New Zealand's Colin Munro, and Sabawoon Davizi, who has achieved the feat with the Czech Republic.
Axar Patel and Shivam Mavi rescued India as they held off Sri Lanka for a thrilling final-ball victory in Tuesday's first T20I in Mumbai.
India were in trouble when they lost Shubman Gill (7), Suryakumar Yadav (7) and Sanju Samson (5) within seven overs, but Deepak Hooda (41 not out) and Axar (31 not out) put on an unbeaten partnership of 68 to carry the hosts to 162/5.
Axar then dismissed two after taking up the ball, while debutant Mavi claimed a four-wicket haul, though India were made to endure a nervy finish as both Kasun Rajitha (5) and Dilshan Madushanka (0) were run out in search of a match-winning boundary at the last.
The hosts made a poor start at the Wankhede Stadium, losing Gill lbw before Yadav handed Bhanuka Rajapaksa a simple catch from Chamika Karunaratne's first delivery.
India crawled to 77/3 before suffering another huge blow as Wanindu Hasaranga caught Ishan Kishan (37), but they eventually posted a respectable target thanks to the efforts of Axar and Hooda – both of whom would play key roles in the dramatic finale.
Mavi's superb showing then seemed to have put India in complete control as the visitors were reduced to 132/8, but Karunaratne (23 not out) teed up a frantic finale with two huge sixes.
Requiring five runs from three balls, Sri Lanka were suddenly favourites, but Hooda and Axar combined to run out Rajitha before Kishan sent stumps flying as Madushanka went for two runs from the final ball, sealing a dramatic win.
India take the initiative
India approached Tuesday's contest having gone unbeaten throughout their last 10 multi-game men's T20I series (W9 D1), though Sri Lanka's late recovery appeared likely to put their fine run of form under threat.
However, the Men in Blue held on in a frantic finale to take a 1-0 lead over their visitors, who were the last team to record a T20I series triumph against them in July 2021.
Mavi makes his mark
After struggling with the bat for long periods, India needed their bowlers to come up with the goods, and debutant Mavi obliged.
The 24-year-old recorded impressive figures of 4-22 as he claimed the crucial wickets of Pathum Nissanka and Dhanajaya de Silva on a stellar debut.
Bangladesh will host England in March in rearranged series of three ODIs and three T20Is, it has been announced.
The series, initially due to be held in 2021 but postponed due to coronavirus and a packed cricket calendar, will begin in Dhaka on March 1 – which will also host the second ODI two days later and the final T20Is on March 12 and 14.
Chattogram will be the venue for the third ODI on March 6 and the first T20I on March 9, completing the schedule for England's first tour of Bangladesh since 2016.
The three-match ODI series is part of the Super League, which decides which teams get direct entry into the 2023 World Cup, but both nations have already qualified for the tournament in India, which gets underway in October.
England will travel to Bangladesh in February ahead of the series and are expected to play two practice matches, with opponents yet to be confirmed.
The two sides last met at the 2021 T20 World Cup, where England won the Super 12 contest by eight wickets.
The Indian Premier League auction for the 2023 season is done and dusted, with some of the world's biggest players front and centre on Friday.
England's Sam Curran, the Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, fetched a new record price when he was bought by Punjab Kings for 18.5 crore (£1.85million).
International team-mate Ben Stokes also brought in an impressive fee of 16.25 crore (£1.65m) from Chennai Super Kings, while Mumbai Indians landed Australia's Cameron Green for 17.5 crore (£1.75m).
Stats Perform runs through the standout deals of the day...
Sam Curran (Punjab Kings)
Having started his IPL career with Punjab in 2019, Curran is headed back after a stint with Chennai Super Kings and returns on the back of the best year of his career.
With 13 wickets at the T20 World Cup and huge batting potential, Curran is one of the most exciting purchases ahead of next year's tournament – as the price suggests.
Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings)
England's Test captain once again dug into his bag of tricks with a superb batting performance at the T20 World Cup to help his team beat Pakistan in the final.
Stokes heads to Chennai for a fee that matches the previous record set by Australia's Chris Morris last year, while his career IPL strike rate of 134.50 is indicative of a batsman who always goes big.
Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)
The second-most expensive buy in the auction, it is little surprise Green commanded such an impressive figure given his huge 173.75 strike rate across eight T20I matches.
The Australia all-rounder was expected to figure near the top of the bidding, and he will hope to live up to his billing with Mumbai next year.
Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans)
Williamson was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, allowing him to enter the auction and be picked up at his base price of 2 crore.
Despite playing a role in Sunrisers' title success in 2016, that fee illustrates Williamson's diminishing returns since then, although Gujarat will hope this is a bargain deal.
Harry Brook (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
This has been a breakout year for Brook, who followed T20 World Cup glory with an impressive impact on the Test stage, dominating for England against Pakistan.
Back in the white-ball arena, Brook was briefly the most expensive specialist batsman in IPL history when signed for 13.25 crore (£1.325m).
Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants)
Brook's record was short-lived as Pooran went under the hammer and sparked a bidding war.
Lucknow came out on top, paying out 16 crore (£1.6m) for his services and acquiring one of the most fearsome white-ball players around.
Josh Little (Gujarat Titans)
Ireland bowler Little saw his stock rise following a T20 World Cup where he took a hat-trick against New Zealand and helped inspire a shock triumph over England.
Little will become the first Irishman to play in the IPL after fetching 4.4 crore (£440,000).
Joe Root (Rajasthan Royals)
At last, one of the defining batsmen of his generation is headed to the IPL, with the former England Test captain finally selected to play in the world's premier T20 domestic competition after going unsold back in 2018.
Root, who did not play at the T20 World Cup, looked set for the same fate again, but a late one crore (£100,000) base price bid in an accelerated auction will take him to India next year.
Former West Indies white-ball captain was sold to Lucknow Super Giants for a record USD$1.93million in the 2023 IPL Draft on Friday, the highest price ever paid for a specialist batsman in the Indian Premier League. However, allrounder Sam Curran was sold for a record price of USD$2.2 million as the England all-rounder joined Punjab Kings.
Meanwhile, Jason Holder went to Rajasthan Royals and Odean Smith went to Gujarat Titans.
Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals all got involved in the bidding for Curran, forcing the price up, before Punjab won out.
Curran was outstanding in the T20 World Cup, taking 13 wickets – including 3-12 against Pakistan in the final last month.
There was a clamour for top-tier all-rounders, with Mumbai Indians landing Australia's Cameroon Green for 17.5 crore (£1.75million),
England Test captain Ben Stokes was wanted by Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow, but it was Chennai who got him for 16.25 crore (£1.65million).
That fee for Stokes matched the previous record for an IPL player, set when Rajasthan signed Chris Morris ahead of the 2021 competition.
New Zealand white-ball skipper Kane Williamson had been the first player available in the auction and went for a bargain 2 crore (£200,000), before a bidding war broke out for England's Harry Brook.
Rajasthan were edged out as he went to Sunrisers for 13.25 crore (£1.325million), the highest price ever paid in an Indian Premier League auction for a specialist batter before Pooran went under the hammer.
Ben Stokes and Sam Curran are among the England T20 World Cup winners who could go for big money in the Indian Premier League auction on Friday.
The 10 franchises have varying amounts of cash to splash in Kochi, where some big names will be up for grabs.
Stokes opted out of the IPL this year, but England's Test captain and Curran, the player of the tournament in their recent World Cup triumph, are two of the 19 overseas players with the highest base price of 2.0 crore – worth just over £200,000.
Chris Morris was sold for a record 16,25 crore in February 2021 and it would be no surprise if that is broken as ambitious franchises shape their squads for the 2023 edition of the tournament.
There are a total of 87 slots to be filled, with up to 30 of those available for overseas players.
Stats Perform highlight what to look out for in the latest auction for a competition that was won by debutants the Gujarat Titans this year.
Sunrisers have money to burn
Sunrisers Hyderabad wielded the axe following a poor 2022 IPL season, having finished down in eighth place.
They suffered eight defeats and reacted by releasing 12 players, including captain and most expensive player Kane Williamson.
Sunrisers have the most money to spend in the auction, with 42,25 crore burning a hole in their pockets. On the other end of the scale, Kolkata Knight Riders only have 7,05 crore to play with.
Hyderabad could opt to re-sign Williamson on a less lucrative deal for the New Zealand skipper.
Curran to break the record?
England all-rounder Curran was outstanding in the T20 World Cup, taking 13 wickets – including 3-12 against Pakistan in the final last month.
Possessing great variation and giving little away, the left-arm seamer is sure to be in demand and could be in for a huge early Christmas present.
Stokes, Williamson, Cameron Green, Rilee Rossouw, Jimmy Neesham and Jason Holder are among the other overseas players with a base price of 2,0 crore.
With a base price of 1,5 crore, Harry Brook could also earn a big pay day for what would be a first IPL after a dream start to his England career.
Pandey and Agarwal under the hammer
Manish Pandey and Mayank Agarwal are the two Indian players with the highest base price in the auction.
The first Indian player to score an IPL century, Pandey has a base price of 1,0 crore and the same goes for fellow batter Agarwal.
Pandey was released by Lucknow Super Giants, while Agarwal was allowed to leave by Punjab Kings.
Record-breaking teenager Ahmed to cap a dream week
What a story it would be if Rehan Ahmed is picked up in the auction after making history in England's Test win over Pakistan in Karachi.
The 18-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder became the youngest man to make his England Test debut as they secured a 3-0 whitewash and the teenager made a big impact.
Ahmed became the youngest man to take a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in the second innings and would cost at least 0.5 crore – although there are due to be discussions over what his schedule will be after his incredible start on the international stage.
Player of the Match Andre Russell’s six-laden half century and an MVP-like performance from Akeal Hosein helped steer Melbourne Renegades to a four-wicket victory over Brisbane Heat with four balls to spare in their Big Bash clash at Geelong on Wednesday.
Hosein took three wickets and scored a quick-fire 30 for Melbourne after Russell had bludgeoned them back into contention after a Michael Neser’s hat-trick had threatened to deny them victory.
Brisbane won the toss and chose to bat first but were two wickets down for 14 in the third over thanks to Mujeeb ur Rahman and Hosein who claimed the wickets of Max Bryant for five and Colin Munro for eight, respectively.
However, knocks of 25 from Sam Billings, 29 from Matt Renshaw and an unbeaten Jimmy Peirson helped stage a recovery. However, after a partnership of 61 between Billings and Renshaw both were dismissed by Tom Rogers in the 11th over as Brisbane slipped to 78-4.
It was soon 96-5 as Rogers dismissed Ross Whitely for 8 in the 15 over.
Hosein took the wickets of Neser (3) and James Bazley (0) in three balls in the 15th over. Peirson smashed 45 from 30 balls with six fours to get Brisbane to a competitive 138-7.
Rogers ended with 4-23 while Hosein took 3-26 in another solid performance with the ball.
Melbourne’s relatively simple chase of just under seven runs an over, became extremely difficult when Neser ripped through the top order with just nine runs on the board.
He dismissed Sam Harper first ball and then Jake Fraser-McGurk from the final ball of the first over and then in his second dismissed Nic Maddinson for two and Johnathan Wells for a duck in consecutive balls of his second over to leave Melbourne facing defeat.
However, Russell and Aaron Finch staged a recovery would set the team firmly on the path to victory.
Russell hit two fours and six sixes and he and Finch put on 81 for the fifth wicket before he got out caught behind off Mark Steketee for 57 from 42 balls.
Hosein picked up from where Russell left off hitting two fours and two sixes in a 39-run partnership with Finch. He eventually holed out to deep midwicket for 30 from 19 balls off the fifth ball of Steketee’s final over with Melbourne needing just nine from seven balls.
Will Sutherland smashed Steketee’s last ball for a massive six over the midwicket boundary leaving Finch to hit the winning runs, a four over extra cover to seal with victory from Bazley’s second ball of the final over.
Melbourne’s third straight win means they have six points and only trail leaders Adelaide Strikers on net run rate.
Akeal Hosein and Andre Russell played key roles in the Melbourne Renegades opening its Big Bash League season with a 22-run win over Brisbane Heat at Cairns on Thursday.
Rain dashed New Zealand's hopes of a drawn T20 series with India, as the two sides tied their final match on DLS after the heavens opened at McLean Park.
Half-centuries for Devon Conway (59) and Glenn Phillips (54) helped the hosts post a total of 160 all out in Napier, as they sought to level their three-game contest with the tourists. Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj each took four wickets for India.
But hopes of a grandstand finish were dashed when both sides were pulled from the field with India on 75-4 in pursuit after nine overs.
That meant Hardik Pandya's side had matched the par score under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, ensuring that with no restart, the match became a rare tie in T20 international cricket.
After a washout in Wellington saw no result, India had run out convincing victors in Mount Maunganui on Sunday to take the lead heading into this final contest.
They therefore hold on to win the series 1-0, with the two teams now set to meet in a trio of ODIs starting on Friday in Auckland.
India restore pride after World Cup
Having fallen short in the T20 World Cup earlier this month, victory over the Black Caps has been a restorative process for India over the past week, despite the weather.
With four wickets down on the scoreboard, there would have been a question over whether they were likely to catch New Zealand's total – but the weather means they have a series win to their name.
Conway and Phillips' efforts in vain
With close to 75 per cent of New Zealand's total posted between them, Conway and Phillips rescued what could have otherwise been a worryingly low score for New Zealand.
Ultimately, with Tim Southee having taken 2-29 off three overs, their efforts might have been enough to see them home, had the weather not intervened.
David Warner has welcomed the chance to have his lifetime ban from captaining Australia reviewed following a change in Cricket Australia's (CA) code of conduct, while lamenting the delay in allowing him to appeal.
CA ruled that the opening batter would never hold a leadership role again due to his part in the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal.
Warner, who was said to have played a key role in Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the Test against South Africa in Cape Town, had been touted as a candidate to replace Aaron Finch as ODI skipper following his retirement from the format in September.
While Pat Cummins was named as Finch's successor last month, the door may be open to Warner captaining his country in the future after CA amended its code of conduct.
Players were previously unable to appeal against sanctions after accepting them, but Warner is relieved to have the opportunity to seek a review of his ban under a new policy.
"I'm not a criminal," Warner said on Monday. "You should get a right of an appeal at some stage. I understand that they put a ban in place, but banning someone for life, I think it's a bit harsh.
"Where it's been disappointing is it's taken this long to get to where it has. It was brought up in I think February this year. So it's been drawn out.
"It's traumatic for me and my family and everyone else that was involved in it. We haven't needed to go back into that detail. We don't need to relive what happened.
"But it's good to get in a position where we are now today. It gives me an opportunity to ring up the integrity unit to have a word to them and put forward my case of, I guess, the 100 hours [of community service] that I did in 2018.
"Basically, all this good behaviour stuff that I've done, I think I have to put forward, so I'm happy to do that."
In a statement released on Monday, CA said: "Players and support staff can now apply to have long-term sanctions modified.
"Any applications will be considered by a three-person review panel, comprising independent code of conduct commissioners, which must be satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction."
CA's new policy allows for the panel to modify punishments if it is felt the recipient has "demonstrated genuine remorse" or shown good behaviour since the ruling, while they will also consider the length of time which has passed since a sanction was issued.
Suryakumar Yadav struck 111 not out off 51 balls to guide India to a 65-run victory over New Zealand in Sunday's second T20I at Bay Oval.
The sides were foiled by rain in the opening game of their three-match series without a ball being bowled, but India deservedly came out on top in Mount Maunganui.
Suryakumar hit seven sixes and 11 fours to further underline why he is the world's top-ranked T20 batter, while Ishan Kishan chipped in with 36 as India's next highest scorer.
The Men in Blue reached 191-6 and New Zealand fell well short as they were skittled for 126 in the 19th over, with skipper Kane Williamson (61) supplying almost half their runs.
Rain at times threatened the contest, with India 50-1 in the seventh over when players were forced off the field, but play resumed and India wasted no time in wrapping things up.
Spinner Deepak Hooda starred with the ball by taking 4-10 off 2.5 overs, including the last three scalps in the space of four balls.
India shake off World Cup blues
India suffered T20 World Cup semi-final disappointment last week, as did opponents New Zealand, but they bounced back with this well-earned victory.
They have now won each of their past four T20Is with New Zealand, including each of the past four, making this their best ever winning run against the Black Caps in the format.
Southee flourish not enough
Tim Southee gave New Zealand some hope when removing skipper Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar and Deepak in the final over for his second career hat-trick.
But the damage had already been done by Suryakumar, who raced to a 49-ball hundred en route to 111 in his latest dazzling display with the bat.
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